29/01/2026 - Hooked On Grayling Fishing
Author with one of several good size grayling from the river Frome
It was back in the early 1960's while on a photographic assignment in the Malton area of North Yorkshire, during the evenings I had quite a bit of time on my hands, while my assistant was occupied in the local Inns,
I was more interested in going fishing. I always had either, a fly or coarse fishing outfit in the car. Not knowing the area, I asked several people in the local inns about angling. Eventually I got given 3 phone numbers, each time I was told about the river Rye as being a good starting point. I was told it had some coarse fish and trout, one person told me it was a good venue for grayling who also told me where I could purchase permission to fish.
On my first evening I caught a brace of trout, on my second visit, I caught my first grayling on a Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, which certainly impressed me by its fighting qualities, a fish of perhaps 15 inches in length. Over the next couple of weeks, apart from fishing the Rye, I also had a session on the rivers Swale and the Ure. In those far off days, I found the cost of a day permits cheaper, than in the south of the country.
From that first Grayling I’ve been fortunate to catch grayling from many rivers of England, Wales and Scotland, also Sweden and Finland. In Canada I caught the Arctic grayling, a species with beautiful blue spots on the dorsal fin. A different species to the European grayling. Back home in the south, I started to fish the Kennet for roach perch and chub, but in the autumn, I would also take a fly-fishing outfit, so when conditions were good for grayling, I would often have a session. One summers day, I was privileged to fish the Hungerford Town water at East Grafton, also with Bernard Venables MBE at Up Avon. On arrival at the Hungerford water, I felt very fortunate to meet Rob Star, the river keeper; what a delightful gentleman he was. Rob pointed out some very good grayling between the ranunculi's weed. Saying feel free to fish for those graylings, but only dry fly upstream.
The Town water was given to the people of Hungerford by John O'Gaunt in the1300s as a reward for helping his army in the Battle of the Roses. Grayling and brown trout-fishing can be excellent, but sadly, it's stocked with horrid rainbows. Upstream fly-fishing is the normal rule of engagement, and one should never allow the fly to drift downstream. When you fish the Town water, you quickly learn about the Wine Cellar, where many of the rods leave their wine to cool off. What surprised me on my first visit to the water was seeing the well-mown banks, with a fringe of reeds, rushes and wild flowers at the water's edge, offering cover to the kneeling angler.
I put together a 9ft 4 weight rod with a small Ross reel, with a floating line, then attached a fifteen-foot leader with a 3lb bs tippet, as I decided to target the grayling, I chose a size 12 floating Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, my next pattern, if the first doesn't get me any action, will be Klinkhammer Special. During the day, I spent as much of the time talking with Rob Star and other anglers. I still caught probably a dozen grayling, along with some trout, on the floating GRHE I didn't feel I needed to change the fly.
A Great Session with Grayling
The lovely river Frome: a chalk stream rises in the west Dorset; then flowing in an easterly direction into Poole Harbour; an area well known to those who served in the Marines. As chalk streams go; I rate the Frome very highly; even more so this year when most chalk streams have had little flow with low levels. This river had a reasonable flow rate over lovely clean gravel. How I would love to manage this river; I defiantly wouldn't stock; relying only on the wild fish.; This season I've had a few fishing trips to the river at Pallington near Dorchester; situated not far from Novelist and Poet Thomas Hardy's cottage; a writer that truly captured the essence of the Dorset countryside; and its people. Thomas Hardy passed away in 1928 leaving a wealth of literature for English speaking people to enjoy. How I would have loved to have been alive in Hardy's time.
Simon and Tini; have been most gracious hosts on several occasions; making me most welcome, in that time with the honoured ritual of a mug of tea. They let me roam and fish, either from the bank side or by wading this delightful chalk stream. Simon is the man who gave us the Stonze; lets us never forget; we as anglers and naturalists have a responsibility not to cause harm to the environment. Hence the use of the Stonze and not lead weights.
September is one of the most delightful months in the angler’s calendar; a month I look upon as being the start of autumn. Swallow are getting ready for their hazardous migration to Africa; the young broods will have already left on their long journey south. In the fields and hedgerows; I will find mushrooms; sloes; elder berries; hazel nuts; blackberries and apples. In my book There is nothing nicer than apple and blackberry pudding; cooked in a pudding cloth and boiled for some hours; then served with lashings of custard. Sadly, these days I cannot eat this delightful desert.
As I walk along the riverbank; I see spiders webs covered in tiny droplets of moisture from the early morning mist; those same droplets will shine like diamonds as the hazy sun burns off the mist. The green round stemmed Bulrushes, sway in the current. Bulrushes must not to be mistaken for Reedmace with its large brown head, looking like a huge Havana cigar. This plant was made an imposter by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema who painted Mosses in the Bulrushes. Everywhere Himalayan Balsam is shedding its seeds and damaging the riverbank.; Hawthorn bushes glow red with a huge number of berries; which have appeared much earlier this year; than for some years past. in the hedgerows; squirrels and dormice will feed on the hazel nuts; while Goldfinches are about in profusion feeding on the seeds from the thistle and bulrush heads.
I'm on the hunt for a big grayling; a fish over 3lbs. In July I watched a giant among graylings. Peering into the gin clear water; I could see what appeared to be a large black shadow; as a small cloud moved across the sky; the light improved. It was then I noticed a slight movement as the shadow moved it slowly turned into a huge fish. No, a giant fish. The dorsal fin suddenly becomes erect. It was a grayling; nearer 4lbs than 3lbs. It was lying in a deep channel between swaying water crowfoot. Willow trees over hung the water; stopping me from getting a bait or fly to this monster. It was certainly safe from this hunter, in its watery kingdom.;
Fly Fishing
I've caught some wonderful grayling from this Wessex chalk stream; using both dry flies, Klinkhammer's size 12's and 14's; Grey Wulff size 12's and 14's. also a small Sedge pattern which has been a successful as a dry fly pattern. I found upstream nymphing was a very good way of taking grayling, when sight fishing, I often used Richard Walker Mayfly nymph, also the beaded version which certainly proved an excellent pattern.
Bait Fishing
Bait Fishing, I must make it clear that there is nothing wrong in bait fishing for grayling, provided it is done in a sporting way. Reg Righyni in his book "Grayling" published in 1968 writes an excellent chapter, that I would suggest, if you're interested in catching grayling, with bait and float tackle, you should read his book. Though you might find it hard to get a 1968 copy of the book Grayling, but a new copy was published in 1996 which is no doubt available from second handbook dealers.
Float fishing for grayling with a bait, often comes into its own in coloured water or icy conditions, where you often have ice along the quiet area of water. I would suggest the most important item of tackle is a good quality centre pin reel, forget using a fixed spool reel, you want get the same control, when trotting, which is often done up to forty fifty yards, even more in some cases. Choosing the right reel for the job is most important; in my book there is only one, It's a centre pin; my current centre pin an Avon Classic made by Richard Carter, I load my reel with about fifty sixty yards of 4lb bs clear Gamma line The hook sizes range from 10's to 14's all barbless making sure they are needle sharp
The rods I use are a Hardy cane Avon, Alcocks Wallis Wizard or a ten foot six-inch Dalesman, made by Aspindale. Sometimes use my Drennan 14-foot Acolyte plus when fishing a big river. My usual float is one based on Reg Righyni model as discussed in his book Grayling Fishing, my floats are made by Micky Erends of Sussex, my other float is usually an Avon balsa on quill taking 6 to 10 bb shot. I start with the small bb shot nearer the hook, then increase the size of the shot as I move up the line with the heaviest shot further up the line, most times when grayling fishing the water will only average around four feet, this of course depends on the river being fished, you could be in a swim with eight feet or more of swirling boiling water where you need some weight near the hook. It’s often a case of trying different shotting patterns. pinched on the line between 10 inches from the hook. My Tel tale shot is often close to the hook as the fish can often be very aggressive. I don't want a deep hooked fish.
Quality Grayling
During my latest expedition I caught an estimated 25 fish: nine over 2lbs. Please don't get the impression it was easy fishing; it wasn't. I had to work for the fish; a lot of my time is spent slowly walking the banks, peering intently through polarised glasses into the gin clear water; Sometimes waiting half an hour for the weed to sway clear of a small gravel channel in the hope some fish were waiting to be caught. At times It was very exasperating. I could spend some time peering intently into the clear water; then as the swaying weed moved across the current; an opening would appear where I might spot two or three fish;
As I got ready to make a cast, suddenly the weed returned to cover the area; ten minutes later the weed cleared, just long enough for me to drop in the baited hook. But it was great fun.; My biggest fish weighed 2-8-0; I spotted this fish between two beds of swaying water crowfoot in about five feet of water; upstream the river flowed fast over a shallow gravel bar; it then swirled; twisted and gurgled as the fast turbulent water swept downstream round a left-hand bend. On the opposite bank there was a pool of quiet water. Between the fast-swirling water and the quiet pool; was a crease or seam that had been created. In the crease I could see two good fish holding station. Chucking a few grains of corn we upstream; I watched it pass through the swim; a fish moved across the current taking the grain of corn; then it was back to the crease.
Quite Wading
I decided my best approach was to move off upstream; enter the river, then wade slowly downstream to the quiet pool. Having plumbed the swim; I moved the float another two feet up the line. Baiting with a grain of corn; I made a cast downstream; some four feet upstream of the fish. Five minutes later; I lifted the rod then allowed the bait to move a bit further downstream. Still no attention from the fish; I repeated the manoeuvre twice more. Then success; the float moved across the flow; I tightened into a good fish which shot off downstream. Not wanting to try and pull a hard fighting twisting grayling upstream through the fast turbulent water and swaying water crowfoot. I moved downstream to a quiet bit of water, where I was able to bring the fish to the net. After weighing it was returned. Hopefully to grow into that coveted three pounder. In all my total catch consisted of 3 fish over 2lbs on the fly, of 2-6-0 2-4-0 and 2-1-0 I had 6 fish on corn over 2lbs best at 2lb 8 ounces
Big Grayling in Swedish Lapland
The Grayling Thymallus Thymall is the grayling as we know is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family and prefers cold, clean, running waters, but also its in lakes also, in brackish waters around the Baltic Sea. The grayling grows to a length of 70 cm and up to 3kg, the official Swedish record is 2,850 kg. The grayling or as some call it "the lady of the stream" feeds mainly on insects, sedges and smaller fishes. It is a favourite fish for the fly fisherman. The author Gunnar Westrin has called the grayling the Sunfish. On a sunny day, you can catch the biggest grayling of your life. On an overcast day without much angling success, a big grayling can light up your life.
The grayling of Lapland, Sweden is a special creature. It can be found in mountain lakes, forestland and in the Gulf of Bothnia. The sea grayling thrives in the brackish water of the Gulf of Bothnia. You often find it around the mouths of large streams, as well as among the rocks and skerries of the outer archipelago. Fly fishing anglers find this fish a great challenge. In the forests of Lapland, Sweden there are tarns, ponds, lakes and running water with a strong population of grayling. Catches of over 1 kg can often be prolific and not unusual.
Anglers grayling fishing in Sweden
Grayling floats made by Micky Erends of Sussex
The best grayling my guide caught in Sweden on my last trip
Angler fishing a big river in Sweden for grayling
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